The pauper and the pin
by Leoni Liponscovi
Summary: When you hear a fairy tale, they are about princes and princesses marrying and living happily ever after. Right? Well, if you answered, "Yes", then you obviously have NOT heard this story. So, sit tight and listen to the Pauper and the Pin.


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The Pauper and the Pin

When you hear a fairy tale, they are about princes and princesses marrying and living happily ever

after. Right? Well, if you answered, "Yes", then you obviously have NOT heard this story. So, sit tight and

listen to the Pauper and the Pin.

There lived a rich king, queen, and prince in Pateen that were constantly looking for the princes'

bride-to-be. This was a very handsome and kind prince, so he should have been able to marry any princess

of his choosing. The problem was that Prince Nave's parents were rather unreasonably expecting him to

marry a women with a pin stuck permanently in her hand. How impossible is that? The queen, Queen

Elaine, was convinced that since her son had been pricked on the hand by a pin as a child he would have to

marry a women with a pin stuck permanently in her hand. Prince Nave thought that since his mother had

been able to feel a pea through twenty mattresses and twenty-four feather beds there must be something a

little bit wrong with her. Well, anyway, his father, King Andre, decided that it was time for Nave to visit the wealthy people in his kingdom, and also search for a bride. Therefore Prince Nave visited the people and looked for a bride. He searched high and low (in the mansions only, of course) but to no avail. In the end Nave was forced to come home without a bride. At home he thought, his mother thought, his father

thought and finally Nave realized that maybe they had been looking in all the wrong places. Maybe his bride-to-be was poor. Now, of course he didn't tell his parents that because they would never agree. Never-the-less, he went to the local village the next day and searched for twelve hours, but found no one with a pin stuck permanently in her hand. So, even though he searched the country and the local village he still had not found a bride.

Meanwhile, an unfortunate young lady, pauper really, with a pin stuck permanently in her hand,

had just received some surprising news. The prince was actually going to ride through their tiny village

and, of course, she had to leave for her aunt's house that very day. Her Aunt Beatrice lived many miles

away from Clennance Town. Evangeline, more commonly known as Evie, got there quickly, however.

Aunt Beatrice always had chores for Evie to do and this time was no different. Evie had to gather a wagon

load of wood by that evening. There was a shortage of wood in Valley Home, so Evie had to ride to the

nearest woods which was seventeen miles away. So, Evie left and became lost, as anyone would in a

thunderstorm. In the distance, she spotted the Kings' castle and decided that, even if she was lost she

should still finish her chore, knowing there would be plenty of wood in the castle. She figured that since the

drawbridge was down it would be okay to cross over with the group of other riders. When Evie

was safely across, she noticed a young man walking towards her.

"Good evening! I don't remember seeing you in the castle. What is your name?", he said

For a moment Evie stood dumbfounded, then-

"OH MY GOSH! You're the PRINCE!"

Evie could not believe she had just said that! Belatedly she remembered his question.

"I'm sorry! My name's Evangeline. What's yours?"

Of course she knew what the name of the kingdom's prince was, it was just that she felt she had to say

something and that was all she could think to say.

"My name is Nave and I'm pleased to meet you Evangeline."

"Yeah, me too. You wouldn't know me from the castle 'cause I live in Clennance Town. I got lost

in the storm."

" I visited Clennance Town three months ago. That's awfully far away. I know you said that you are lost, but how did you travel down here in less than one day?"

"Well, it actually took two months for me to get here, but I was coming from my aunt's house

when I got lost. I was trying to find enough wood to fill up my wagon."

"Oh, I see. Well, I will make sure that your wagon is filled. Now won't you please come inside?"

Inside the prince introduced her to his parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Evangeline. She became lost in the storm, so I invited her in."

"Pleased to meet you, dear ,"said Queen Elaine. "Sam, come and take her wraps."

A servant came forward, ready to do as the queen bid.

Evie must have been in some sort of daze, because she allowed him to take all her wraps,

including her gloves. Kindly remember that Evie was unfortunate enough as to have a needle pushed into

her hand when sewing one day and that the prince was looking for a bride with a pin stuck permanently in

her hand. Evie always covered her hands because she did not like explaining about the accident. Now! My

reader must be thinking, now he will ask her to marry him when he sees her hand! But, alas, he did not see

her hand. It was only when she was getting ready to depart that Nave saw the pin in her hand. Evie held out

her hand to shake the prince's hand, as pauper's are apt to do, when the pin caught his eye. Evie was

unaware that her gloves were off, because, you remember, she was in a daze when she took them off and had only recently come out of it. The prince saw her hand and fell in love.

Immediately, Prince Nave went on his knees and said, "I, Prince Nave, do ask you, Evangeline, to marry me."

Of course, Evangeline answered, "Good gracious, no! I mean I hardly know you yet. When I know you better I'll give you my answer."

Shocked, the prince nodded, with his mouth hanging open. So, two years later, when they felt that they knew each other pretty well, they were married. The king and queen disapproved entirely, because they had always imagined that the girl would be rich or at least high born. So they were happily married despite what the king said and lived ever after, though not always happily.

The End

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